Marvel’s Black Panther Will Be A Cross Between James Bond And The Godfather

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Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is already shaping up to be one of Marvel’s most anticipated films ever. Chadwick Boseman had a standout performance as T'Challa/Black Panther in last year's Captain America: Civil War.

But #BlackPanther will see him facing an entirely new challenge. After the death of his father, T’Challa is now the new King of Wakanda. However, not everyone is in agreement that he should rule, and a fight for the Wakandian throne begins. And while Marvel has been known for each franchise adopting the flavor of a specific genre, fans might be surprised by what influences will be found in Black Panther.

'Black Panther’ Has Been Inspired By ‘007’ And ‘The Godfather’ Franchises

“What I think we landed on was sort of a cross between James Bond and The Godfather. A big, operatic family drama centered on a world of international espionage. So hopefully we’re getting the best of both worlds.”

This makes a great deal of sense as The Godfather deals with a son trying his best to take over for a fallen elder and to help restore a family that is competing for power over one another. But, similar to what we've already seen with #ChadwickBoseman's transcontinental role in Civil War, there will be shades of an international thriller like 007 enjoys.

T’Challa Must Fullfill His Father’s Legacy As King of Wakanda

Credit: Entertainment Weekly

Wakanda is the most advanced civilization in Marvel's universe, except few people even know it exists. It’s been kept a secret all this time to keep their people and culture intact. Thanks to its numerous deposits of Vibranium, Wakanda is also the richest and most technologically advanced civilization around.

In fact, the was the very first time anyone from Wakanda had reached out to other nations to make peace was during the UN gathering to sign the Sokovia Accords in Civil War. Now, one of the biggest decisions T’Challa will have to make is whether or not to play ball with the other nations and to continue on what his father set out to do. Director #RyanCoogler weighed in on the thoughts going through T’Challa’s mind as he wrestles with the loss of his father:

“He sees himself as a politician. That’s the first thing on his mind when he wakes up in the morning. ‘How am I going to fulfill my duties as king of this place?' He has to keep harmony between the tribes within his country, and that means managing expectations and doing things that are unpopular. At the same time, he is the protector of that nation.”

T’Challa certainly has his hands full as he not only has to deal with the entire world bearing down on him, but within the confines of his own family lies betrayal and civil unrest; similar to what the Corleone family went through in The Godfather.

Killmonger Will Be A Very Different Antagonist Than Other Marvel Villains

photo courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

Continuing on with the family clashes that’s taking place, Moore also mentions how crucial of a role #MichaelBJordan’s Killmonger will have in the story:

“I think Killmonger has his own opinion on how Wakanda has been run and should run, and what I think Michael brings to the table is sort of a charming antagonist, who doesn’t agree with how T’Challa is running things, frankly. I think that puts T’Challa in a difficult situation. Killmonger is a voice of a different side of Wakanda.”

Moore is absolutely correct in his assessment because this is going to be a serious challenge for the new king especially now that Wakanda has officially been exposed much thanks to Ulysses Klaue (#AndySerkis). The teaser trailer mentions that Klaue was the only person to have seen the nation and escaped in one piece. He’s now an endangerment to the culture and will do anything necessary to bring it to the ground, even if it means getting some help from within Wakanda's own tribe.

Killmonger will in fact be allied with Andy Serkis’s Klaue which is where The Godfather portion of this film comes into play. Killmonger has sided with this ‘outsider’ in Klaue and will do whatever it may take to over throw T’Challa off of the throne.

‘Black Panther’ Looks To Be The Most Unique Marvel Film Yet

Any which way you look at it, Black Panther will be one of the more interesting takes on the superhero movie genre. We’ve already had Ant-Man (a heist film), The Winter Soldier (a spy thriller), Guardians of the Galaxy (a space opera), and now Black Panther is a film combination between a family drama and an action flick. I cannot wait to see what this film has to offer. Expect this upcoming San Diego Comic-Con to uncover more news before it hits theaters on Feb. 16, 2018.